


Why You Should Read: Soul Dichromatism

by ArgentDandelion



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Bigotry & Prejudice, Ethics, Gen, Human-Monster War (Undertale), Monster Frisk (Undertale), Monsterification, Nonfiction, Prejudice Against Humans (Undertale), Recommendations, Reviews, Soul Dichromatism - Freeform, Transformation, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-07-23 19:43:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20013769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentDandelion/pseuds/ArgentDandelion
Summary: A review of the Undertale fanfiction Soul Dichromatism.





	Why You Should Read: Soul Dichromatism

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Soul Dichromatism](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6883084) by [BlackRazorBill](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackRazorBill/pseuds/BlackRazorBill). 



> The work itself is for Teen and Up audiences, but the review is mild enough for general audiences. Originally posted on Tumblr on August 26, 2018.

**Introduction**

(Illustration by [BlackRazorBill](http://blackrazorbill.tumblr.com/))

_Soul Dichromatism_ is the best _Undertale_ fanfiction I have ever read. (Controversial opinion: yes, even better than _[One by One](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fworks%2F4942816%2Fchapters%2F11345293&t=NTcyMjQ1OTUwYzE5ZGI5ZjlkYWMyZmJmNWM3OGNhZjhjMTYxN2Q4ZixQZzNBZTJGQg%3D%3D&b=t%3AHZZTbr56CX-Pu8cYzedJTw&p=https%3A%2F%2Fargentdandelion.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F177424744900%2Fwhy-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism&m=1)_ )

* * *

**Premise**

_Soul Dichromatism_ makes just one change to canon _Undertale_ ’s plot: instead of Asriel absorbing Chara’s SOUL, it’s Toriel. Toriel’s different behavior leads to a different outcome, eventually snowballing into monsters waging a forty-year-long war with humanity on the Surface. When an experimental device called the SOUL Drainer is tested on a human captive, Frisk, something unexpected happens: it causes her (Frisk is a “she” here) to turn into a monster. This causes a whole lot of angst, characterization, and plot development.

* * *

**Illustrations** This fanfic is unusual for having illustrations, and frequent ones at that. As someone who favors more realistic/detailed art in the vein of [Ken Sugimori](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Farchives.bulbagarden.net%2Fwiki%2FCategory%3AKen_Sugimori_Pok%25C3%25A9mon_artwork&t=YjQ2NDkxMTZkY2I3MmY1MmU3MzBmNmUxZDAwOGUzMGI1YTY3OWFlZixQZzNBZTJGQg%3D%3D&b=t%3AHZZTbr56CX-Pu8cYzedJTw&p=https%3A%2F%2Fargentdandelion.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F177424744900%2Fwhy-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism&m=1)’s Pokémon artwork, I consider _Soul Dichromatism_ ’s art quality very high.[1](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/177424744900/why-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism#fn:1) It is one of the more realistic/detailed _Undertale_ artwork styles I have seen: the musculature, proportion, angle, texture, shading and other aspects of rendering figures with depth and realism is remarkably good. The figure drawings start off as high-quality, and over the course of the work gets even better as the art improves.

The drawings are not just realistic/detailed, but also very expressive. Indeed, some drawings are so emotionally riveting within the context of the fiction one may have to stare at them for a few seconds, in comprehension and admiration.  
The pictures, beyond being just really pretty, are highly functional. Using one or two (rarely even three) illustrations per chapter, the author shows off skill in setting the feel of the chapter. In effect, the illustrations serve as “anchors” for an impression, emotion, or scene, and as a sort of guidebook calibrating the imagination and one’s overall experience.

The other distinctive traits of the style is the color palette, lineart leftovers, and background painting style.

Like the game itself, with its retro Game Boy Advance-style graphics and music, the art style succeeds not despite its limitations, but because of it. Exempting the figure drawings, which the author clearly devotes a lot of energy to, the illustrations show the principle of “less is more”.  
To be clear, this doesn’t mean they are minimal, lazy sketches. Rather, the author economizes on detail and image cleanup, likely to devote more energy to more important, salient parts of the image (the figures) and to make them less time-consuming. (After all, never before have I seen with a fic that consistently has 1-2 illustrations per chapter.)

One of the “economizes on detail” aspects is the limited color scheme. It is probably a deliberate stylistic choice to give a particular impression, and it makes art production less time-consuming as only a helpful bonus.[2](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/177424744900/why-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism#fn:2)  
While “black and white” or “greyscale” may be the first thing that comes to mind on hearing “limited color scheme”, here, it is instead a sepia-like palette. Colors range from dark brown to various off-white shades to white, with some dark brownish-grey and, rarely, black (mostly for Sans’ eye sockets).

One of the rare colorful illustrations, from [Chapter 31](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fworks%2F6883084%2Fchapters%2F20390077&t=ODE5ZWE5YTgwOTBmMGJiMWQzOTQ1MzUyYjljNTlkMDdmMTE0YjNhNCxQZzNBZTJGQg%3D%3D&b=t%3AHZZTbr56CX-Pu8cYzedJTw&p=https%3A%2F%2Fargentdandelion.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F177424744900%2Fwhy-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism&m=1).

In _Undertale_ ’s largely black-and-white battle screens, actual color is used sparingly. When it is used, it indicates quite clearly that something is important to a scene.[3](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/177424744900/why-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism#fn:3)  
Similarly, in _Soul Dichromatism_ , colors outside the sepia range are used sparingly. It’s used for things such as SOULs (thematically very important for the work), blood, magic, and houses or plant-filled scenes described as very colorful in comparison to what Frisk is accustomed to.

However, even in the colored outdoor scenes, the colors are limited, muted, and brownish: full-intensity color accents (like eyes, SOULS, or blood) keep a conspicuous, attention-grabbing effect. The illustrations often give off an impression similar to historical, sepia-tinted war photos, and, given the setting, that’s very appropriate.

While the undersketch of the artworks is often visible, it is not a conspicuous detraction from the picture or the fiction. Plant life is rendered in minimal sketches, and colored in an almost watercolor-like style that frequently goes outside the lines.The sepia-like style is instantly recognizable and enjoyable. In the rare few colorful, plant-filled scenes, the level of detail applied to plants, “paint smudges”, and palette bring to mind 1968’s _Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day_ , for lack of a better comparison. (Not a bad thing: I grew up with a positive association of the background style)

* * *

**Length, Plot, and Pacing**

_Soul Dichromatism_ is, at time of writing, 176734 words and 41 chapters. As someone who prefers fantasy books with 300+ pages, this is very much to my taste. Given my habit of devouring books (and fanfics), even if binged, a fiction as long as this one would take about five days to get through, so its long-lasting nature is much appreciated.

Now, there are some multi-chapter _Undertale_ fanfifcs that are merely “airport novels”: very long for the sake of length, hooking the reader forward without a strong plot, characterization, or deeper meaning.  
_Soul Dichromatism_ , however, is not just riveting throughout, but each chapter serves a purpose. Not every chapter is action-packed with a bunch of events, and some are mostly long conversations. Each chapter, however, fulfills a function in fleshing out characters, setting up tension, explanations for later, or some combination. Indeed, I think of it as fast-paced for someone with high reading stamina.

* * *

**Characterization**

The main characters (characters whose thoughts and perspectives the readers are privy to) are Asriel (he didn’t die in the “buttercup plan”) and Frisk, so understandably they get the most characterization and character development. However, they are not the only ones getting characterization. Soul Dichromatism has a host of interesting characters. Alphys, Papyrus, Sans, and Undyne get characterization and character progression; Mettaton and Monster Kid[4](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/177424744900/why-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism#fn:4) also get some characterization and progression, to a lesser extent.

Though the fanfic is about war, it is interesting how little war and violence occurs on-screen. (as commentators have pointed out) Rather, much of the plot and conflict focuses on the societal and psychological consequences of the Second Human-Monster War.   
Though the fic has some violence and the occasional swearing, much of its angst is not based on, say, torture or specific horrific events of war, but characters’ realizations of just how deeply unethical and unjust the war (and their actions in it) are.

The biggest conflict is whether “monsterfication” will work, either in a full transformation or for the intended purpose of ending the war, and the ethical ramifications of using the process to end the war. Adding onto the conflict are the various characters’ disparate attitudes and perspectives on the war, which prove very interesting to analyze. All the different perspectives lead to a [Blind Men and the Elephant](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FBlind_men_and_an_elephant&t=OGIzYTBmYzIyOGVkYzA4YWI4YTFjMWM4MDYyNmJiZjJjYmM4YjVlOCxQZzNBZTJGQg%3D%3D&b=t%3AHZZTbr56CX-Pu8cYzedJTw&p=https%3A%2F%2Fargentdandelion.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F177424744900%2Fwhy-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism&m=1)-like scenario: each new perspective adds to a greater whole, giving a clearer and clearer picture on the scale of the war.

Rather than being rewritten into essentially new characters, each (canon) character excellently portrays how they would act in the scenario of a forty-year-long war with humanity.   
Undyne, for example, is still the heroic, aggressive warrior who cares a lot about justice and is clearly prejudiced against humanity. However, actually being in a real war with humans for years, and befriending the human-turned monster Frisk, forces her to confront some fearsome ethical questions. Is the war justice?

Still, even with all these different facets, there’s a thread of mystery adding tension to the whole thing: why did humans start the first human-monster war to begin with? Occasionally characters give intriguing, unexplained lines, leading to plot threads Frisk checks out to better understand the war.

* * *

**Other**

Now, to explain my controversial, somewhat “clickbait-y” opinion. I say this is better than the acclaimed _One by One_ by [CourierNew](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fusers%2FCourierNew%2Fpseuds%2FCourierNew&t=ZGMwMjg0YzliZDM5YjIzYWEwZGI3Y2NlMDEyODlhMmYwMzM2M2Q1MSxQZzNBZTJGQg%3D%3D&b=t%3AHZZTbr56CX-Pu8cYzedJTw&p=https%3A%2F%2Fargentdandelion.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F177424744900%2Fwhy-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism&m=1) not to disrespect _One by One_ , for CourierNew’s works are to _Undertale_ fanfics what Miyazaki films are to anime. Rather, it feels _One by One_ goes by too fast: it has short, relatively few chapters, with some chapters being so packed with fast-paced action sequences they’re more like textual storyboards for an acclaimed action-adventure film than a fantasy novel. Beyond excellent reading comprehension and imagination, _One by One_ doesn’t ask the reader to engage the brain much. Once it’s over, it’s over.[5](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/177424744900/why-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism#fn:5)

Soul Dichromatism, however, brings up multiple threads of inquiry: why do monsters think of humans the way they do? How can they claim to be kind and compassionate, and yet destroy human towns from afar and pick through the survivors to kill them “execution-style”? Indeed, how can they be genuinely kind and compassionate and yet still do horrible things?

Curiosity on these issues leads to potential learning on philosophy, sociology, and psychology. I’ve gotten into David Livingstone Smith’s articles on [dehumanization](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.academia.edu%2F14225650%2FParadoxes_of_Dehumanization&t=MDVjMzU1ODNiMTk1MWQwMDI3OWFjMzYyMDBjMzJiOTIxZDVhYmQzMSxQZzNBZTJGQg%3D%3D&b=t%3AHZZTbr56CX-Pu8cYzedJTw&p=https%3A%2F%2Fargentdandelion.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F177424744900%2Fwhy-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism&m=1) and Joanna Burke’s very thorough _[What It Means to be Human](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fbooks%2F2011%2Foct%2F26%2Fwhat-it-means-human-review&t=YzI2Mzk4OWUxNDJiZDJmMDYyZDY3YWI0MTI1Y2E2NGNhN2ZiZGFlZCxQZzNBZTJGQg%3D%3D&b=t%3AHZZTbr56CX-Pu8cYzedJTw&p=https%3A%2F%2Fargentdandelion.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F177424744900%2Fwhy-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism&m=1)_ book because of its applicability to _Soul Dichromatism_. The fiction warrants several analysis posts, and by analyzing it, I can wring more enjoyment out of it than I can One by One.

While my old _Soul Dichromatism_ posts need an update to improve their coherency, they remain some of the posts I’m most proud of. I even made _Soul Dichromatism_ and dehumanization the subject of a final project for a college class.

I eagerly await the fiction’s next chapters.

* * *

  1. Compare to _[The Anomaly](http://anomalouscomic.tumblr.com/)_ , with a similar level of realism/detail (though a very different style). [↩︎](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/177424744900/why-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism#fnref:1)

  2. Coffeelemental’s _The Anomaly_ shows the perils of time-consuming detail and realism: an animation with her character design was much less than the animation industry standard of 24 frames per second, took a long time to make (admittedly she’s just one person) and to make it even possible she had to subtly cut corners to make her characters simpler to draw. Camila Cuevas’s _GlitchTale_ , on the other hand, has almost Microsoft Paint-like figures, lineart, and backgrounds (in [Season 1](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fplaylist%3Flist%3DPLyqyE8FJHoUi_Yz_vvCTVotfQgaJ3zb-F&t=NDNmZTBlMTg0ZjliNGEzOWQ1YWU3ODU2NTE2NzRkMmQyNDA5NmMzMyxQZzNBZTJGQg%3D%3D&b=t%3AHZZTbr56CX-Pu8cYzedJTw&p=https%3A%2F%2Fargentdandelion.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F177424744900%2Fwhy-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism&m=1); it gets better) but highly dynamic and fluid animation: especially for its famous battle scenes. [↩︎](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/177424744900/why-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism#fnref:2)

  3. Note how Asgore’s battle has red bubbles from a purple background coming from the bottom of the screen. [↩︎](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/177424744900/why-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism#fnref:3)

  4. Called Artie in the fic, and now a teen. [↩︎](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/177424744900/why-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism#fnref:4)

  5. Yes, I did binge-read it; it was completed in November 2015, and I believe I joined the _Undertale_ fandom after that point. [↩︎](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/177424744900/why-you-should-read-soul-dichromatism#fnref:5)




**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my [Tumblr](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/). Feel free to comment on this article there or here.


End file.
